For the Beauregard community hit hard by tornadoes in early March, getting back on its feet has been “a slow process,” said Bill King, director of missions for Tuskegee Lee Baptist Association.
But the town’s recovery efforts got a big boost the first week in October as 1,200 volunteers from 29 states and four countries built 11 homes in five days.
“It was a good day,” King said about the home dedications Oct. 4. King and Rusty Sowell, pastor of Providence Baptist Church, Opelika, dedicated the Robertson family’s new home, sponsored by Providence Baptist; Tuskegee Lee Association; Union Grove Baptist Church, Opelika; and two Methodist churches in the area.
The Robertsons were one of the families whose home was a total loss in the storms. King presented them with a Bible from the association and with a number of gift cards, some of which were provided by The Alabama Baptist working together with Walmart.
The building project was spearheaded by the Fuller Center for Housing, a Georgia-based organization that works to build and repair homes. Each home’s materials — around $50,000 in total — was sponsored by different churches and organizations. All of the labor was completed by volunteer teams, who started the week off with a Sunday service and banquet at Providence Baptist.
Sowell said it was a “blessed moment” having the faith community of Beauregard partner together in this way.
“It’s a witness to what can be done when we all work together for a common good and a strong witness to what we can do in days ahead,” he said. (Grace Thornton)
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